Pawn
by The Green Canary
Summary: Ra's plan to get Oliver to take his place was set into motion long before he made Oliver the offer. However he never expected one of his pawns to betray him.
1. Chapter 1

There was so much noise in the foundry that night. Everyone was yelling at each other for different reasons. They were all upset about what had happened. They all felt responsible. They all hurt. However it was easier to be mad then it was to be sad so they continued yelling at one another. Except one of them. She was in the corner trying to make sense of everything that had happened and everything that was still happening. How could they all be yelling and screaming like this? Did they not understand? Did they not realize what he went through?

She looked over at them. Oliver, Felicity, Roy and Diggle. She wasn't sure she could call them her friends yet but, at the very least, they were co-workers. Companions, even. This was no way for them to be acting. She didn't want any attention but she didn't want this. She didn't really know what she wanted but she suddenly decided that she wouldn't be able to figure it out unless she had some peace and quiet.

"Oh my God. Shut up! All of you just shut up!" They all looked over at her. She wasn't sure if they even knew she had been there but they all knew she was there now. And since she had their attention, she was going to share her piece.

"How are you all standing around here yelling like this? Don't any of you care about what happened tonight?" They all looked at each other, as if mentally asking one another if they should answer her question. Finally Oliver stepped towards her.

"Laurel…" She jerked back as he reached out to her.

"No, Oliver! There's nothing you can say. I don't blame you so don't apologize because that doesn't change anything." She started pacing. She didn't want to cry in front of them. She was the greenest member of the group but she didn't like showing it. She knew she would break down a cry tonight but she wouldn't do it in front of them.

"Laurel, maybe you should go home?" Everyone else in the room looked at Thea and it was plainly obvious that even she knew that this wasn't the right thing to say but it was enough to set Laurel off.

"Why would I do that Thea? So I can be alone? So you guys can continue fighting over what to do without having to worry about upsetting me? So I can sit in a room full of pictures of people who aren't here anymore?" And all the sudden it hit her.

Her father was dead. Just like her sister. The murderer was different but both deaths were tied to the League of Assassins and both were executed with 3 arrows. But one death was immediate. Laurel was there. She saw Sara fall and knew the second she hit the ground she was gone. Her father was a different story.

"Tonight, my dad was shot with three arrows and bled to death in the street alone. The ME said he was bleeding out for at least 5 minutes. That five minutes must have felt like five years to him and he was alone. He was alone. I could have been there with him but instead I was out fighting fake Arrows! All of the things he's done for us. And not only did we let him die but we let him die alone."

"He wasn't alone."

No one moved when they heard the voice from the back of The Foundry. They were all certain they were hearing things. Slowly they all looked towards the shadows and then she emerged.

Ta-er al-Sahfer. Sara Lance in the flesh.

"I was with dad when he died. I held his hand until he was gone. He thought I was an angel."

No one else in the Foundry had moved. All still shocked by her appearance. Finally, Felicity spoke.

"Sara, how? What are you doing here? We saw…we all saw…"

"That's not important now. What's important is stopping Ra's. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Oliver, we need to talk. In private."

"No! No, Sara! You can't do this again. You can't just come back from the dead and not give me an explanation. My father, our father, died tonight. He died hating me because I couldn't bring myself to tell him that you were killed. And here you are, business as usual. No. We're not doing things your way."

"Laurel, you may wear my costume and take my name but you are not me. You've think you've seen a lot out there but you haven't seen anything yet. Your father died tonight. My father died in my arms. And practically the whole time he talked about you and how sorry he was for the way he acted." Sara opened her mouth as if she was going to continue but turned her head to the side and made a noise that sounded like she was choking back a sob. After a couple seconds of composing herself she looked at her sister.

"Laurel, there were so many things dad needed to tell you and he'll have the chance to tell you those things himself if you let me talk to Oliver." Sara stepped away from her sister and walked past the rest of the group. She grabbed Oliver's arm as she passed him and pulled him up the stairs and out of the foundry. Everyone was left in a stunned silence. Until Laurel finally registered what her sister had said.

"What the hell did she mean he'll tell me himself?"

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Just a small idea I had one night. I just wanted to write a story to bring back Sara and this whole idea popped into my head. Hope you all enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

He wanted to be happy to see her. He wanted to celebrate her cheating death yet again but he couldn't. Not today. Not when so much was going on. It was just another thing that didn't make sense in the city that he was supposed to know and protect. He let her drag him to the other side of the foundry. Away from the rest of his team. If it was anyone else, he wouldn't have gone willingly. He would have demanded answers first and never would have walked away from his team. They deserved to know everything he knew. But this was Sara. He trusted her.

She must have thought they were far enough away from the group because she stopped walking and turned to face him. She looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else had followed. On instinct, he looked over her shoulder too. Then they finally made eye contact. She gave him a small smirk and put her hand on his bicep.

"It's good to see you again Ollie. I just wish it was under better circumstances." She removed her hand from his person and turned to her right so she was no longer looking directly at him. Oliver turned her back towards him.

"Sara, what's going on? How did this happen?" She shook her head. He knew her well enough to know that she as wrestling with how much she should tell him. She finally made eye contact again.

"Ollie, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Once people know, they will be in more danger than you can imagine. Promise me Oliver." He nodded his head at her. He did trust Sara but he also trusted his team and he'd come to rely on them. He would never do anything to put them in danger but he avoided verbally promising Sara anything in case she told him something that he felt needed sharing. She nodded back and he knew she knew what he was thinking. He had forgotten how well she was able to read him; they were so similar after all, it wasn't hard. But she began her story anyway, which made Oliver concerned with how bad what she was going to tell him actually was.

"Oliver, Ra's has been looking for an heir for quite a while. You crossed his radar a long time ago and were added to a list he had. He monitored everyone on the list and it began to dwindle. You always managed to move forward. He had eyes on you since your days in Hong Kong. And when Maseo finally joined his team he had even more insight on you." She paused to allow him to interject but he really didn't have anything to say. He was confused with where she was going with this story. After a few seconds she continued.

"Eventually Ra's decided that you were worthy enough to fight him. It's been a game since then Oliver. He knows his league members better than they know themselves. He knows how we think and that's how he was going to get you. He knew Malcom was alive and running scared. He knew he would do anything to absolve his debt from the league and he knew your sister was Malcom's daughter. Ra's knew that Malcom would use Thea as leverage to get you to fight Malcom's battles for him. All Ra's had to do was give Malcom some leverage. That's when he called upon me."

It hit Oliver harder than the fall off the cliff. Sara was a sacrifice. Ra's sent her to Starling knowing Malcolm would use Thea to kill her so Oliver would be forced to fight Ra's. It was so technical and overcomplicated that he almost couldn't believe it. But if anyone could pull it off it was the Demon's Head.

"It was simple from that point. If you fought and lost, Ra's would look to the next person on his list but if you won; he would have his heir. He knew you wouldn't take the role easily so he set measures in place to force you into the position. But it's gone too far Oliver. Too many people have been hurt. You need to give in. You need to take up the mantle. I'm sorry that it has to be this way but there's so little left for you and he's going to take it all away. My father was the first, he was a warning. Ra's is moving in closer. Next it will be someone in your inner circle. You have to stop him before he gets that close."

To say Oliver was pissed would be putting it mildly. He didn't want to yell at her but his patience wasn't what it used to be. He took a deep breath and then another. He had to compose himself to get the information he needed from her.

"This has been a game from the beginning…and you just decided to play along? Your master tells you to play dead to trick and hurt your friends and family and you obey? And how did you pull that off anyway? You were on the table in the lair for over 24 hours! I don't know of any beta blockers that potent. And are you only here stopping this because of your dad or Laurel? Did you think they were safe? Did you hope he would go after Dig or Roy before your family? Did you think that I would have given in long before they were hurt?" She looked offended but to her credit she stayed clam. She must have known he would be angry at her. She took his verbal onslaught in stride and waited a few seconds after he had finished yelling at her.

"I needed to get out Oliver. For good. Ra's was going to go after you one way or another. Using me was only one of his plans. Killing Felicity was the other and she wouldn't have come back. He promised me that his last act as the Demon's Head was to discharge me from my duties. That wouldn't do me much good if I was dead so he had to bring me back first. Thea killed me, Laurel found me, you buried me and the league dug me up. Ra's put me in the Lazarus pit and I came back to life. I was meant to stay in Nanda Parbat until you accepted Ra's offer. I saw you the day you came to get Malcom. I was training the new recruit when you and Ra's walked through. Part of me wanted you to recognize me but I knew that was against the agreement. It's why Ra's brought you through the training area. He was testing me. I was really hoping that you'd accept his offer then and there. I didn't expect it but I was hoping for it."

She gave him another one of her smirks. It was completely inappropriate considering the story she was telling and the situation she was in but her smile softened his anger. He sighed heavily before asking the next question.

"So what changed? What made you come now?"

Sara had to know he was going to ask those questions. She must have prepared an answer. But she wasn't answering him. She was looking at the ground and shaking her head slightly.

"Sara…please. I need to know what's happening." She looked up at him with glassy eyes. He knew she wouldn't actually shed tears but seeing her this close to it made him nervous.

"My dad died today Oliver. And tomorrow it could be my sister. Or Roy. Or Thea. He'll go after everyone until you agree or…worse. I need you to understand what is at stake if you continue to go against Ra's. You can't fight your way out of this one. You need to accept the offer."

His Sara would never tell him not to fight. She knew better. Somehow, this had to be part of Ra's' plan. He sent Sara to try to convince Oliver to take the offer. Murder had not worked so far but maybe Ra's thought that a friend could convince him to change his mind. All the sudden Oliver lost all the trust he held in Sara. He took a step back from her and she knew what he was thinking.

"Oliver, I snuck out to warn you! If anyone in the league sees me out here my deal is done and what they'll do to me…not even the Lazarus Pit could fix it. You don't have to take my advice but you need to heed my warning. Ra's knows you better than you think. He knows your team better than you think and he will do whatever it takes. You think they are safe but they're not. Once he decides who's next to die they will die and the rest will follow in turn. I need to head back before they get suspicious. Please, think about what I'm telling you. Tell everyone I love them and I'm sorry."

She walked up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before making her way back out of Starling. Oliver didn't know what to make of what she said. He wasn't sure if this was another move in this game Ra's had set up or if it was his Sara doing what she thought was right and trying to help him. It made sense that it was her doing the right thing. She must have seen that Detective Lance was the next sacrifice in this game Ra's was playing. Maybe she tried to get to him before the League did. Maybe she hoped she could get him to a hospital or do something to keep him from dying. Maybe she was just going to save her dad but when she couldn't she decided to tell Oliver what was going on.

Maybe Oliver was thinking too much about all of this. He headed back into the lair. The rest of the team was waiting and the tension in the air was heightened when Oliver came back alone.

Laurel jumped up first. She asked where her sister was and started shouting at Oliver when he said she had left. He understood why she was mad and so he allowed her to hit him with a verbal onslaught before she stormed out of the lair. Oliver shouted to her not to say anything to Nyssa about Sara if anyone knew she was alive it could mean her death. Laurel hesitated on the stairs at his words but continued up them after a second.

Oliver knew that she would be the first to speak. He would have been shocked if it was anyone else.

"So…what did Sara tell you?"

Oliver took a deep breath and sat down before recounting what Sara had told him about Ra's' plan.

Later that night there was a news story about the body of Detective Lance being taken from the Starling City morgue and Oliver knew what happened. He hoped she wouldn't get herself into too much trouble but he couldn't help but smile. Sara Lance was back.

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Guys…the show is getting crazy and I'm loving it. I hope to use some of the elements of the show in my story but we'll see what works and what doesn't. And I don't think I said it in the story but Oliver's secret has not yet been exposed in my story. I own nothing! Thanks for reading!


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